ArHi SS : Trust #2 - Chapter 11

The next night, Arnav called her at half past nine and said, "Khushi, get ready. We are going out."

She jumped up from the bed and asked, "Going out? Now?"

"Yes. Has everyone slept?"

"Yes but..."

"No buts. Get ready. I am coming."

"Arnav ji, at this time?"

"Khushi, stop asking questions and get ready. I am almost there."

With that he disconnected the call.

Khushi was in panic mode. "Laad Governor, he didn't even give me time to think. What if someone wakes up? What will I tell them? If bua ji finds out about it, I will never be able to hear the end of it. And bau ji will be worried if I am not here. If they see me when I come back, they will ask me so many questions? What will I say? What will others think? What will..."

Arnav jumped in through the window and looked at her talking to herself. He rolled his eyes and shook his head. He touched her shoulder and she jumped in fright.

"Khushi, it is me."

"Arnav ji, what are you doing here? Did anybody see you? What did you tell them?"

He closed her mouth with her hand and said, "Khushi, relax." He hugged her and helped her ease her tension. When she relaxed, he said, "Get ready, Khushi. I'll wait outside."

"But..."

"We will come back before anybody notices that you are not here. Most likely an hour or two. Not more than that."

She slowly nodded.

"I'll wait outside."

He waited outside while she changed her clothes.

"Arnav ji," she called slowly.

"Put your legs over the window and jump."

She did as she was told. He held her hand and they walked away from her house.

"Where are we going?"

"I parked my car in the main road, Khushi. We are walking to my car."

She wrapped both her hands around his hand and pressed her cheek on his bicep.

"Won't Anjali ji notice that you aren't at home?"

"Di," he said.

"Hmmm...?"

"You called her Anjali ji. You have to call her di."

She smiled and nodded. "Okay. Won't di notice that you aren't at home?"

"She went to sleep early. I took her to a gynaec today and the doctor said that she is weak and needs a lot of rest."

"Is she okay? Did the doctor give her any medicines?"

"She prescribed some vitamins and rest along with a stress free environment. Nothing else."

"Take care of her, Arnav ji."

They reached his car and Arnav unlocked the door. He opened the back door and took out a bicycle. He then opened the boot and took out another one.

He passed one to her and asked, "You know how to ride cycles, right?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "You are going to ride one too?"

"Who else? Do you have a boyfriend stashed somewhere?"

She nodded and smiled.

He raised an eyebrow.

"You are no less than a boyfriend I have stashed away."

They got on the cycle and pedalled in the main road.

"Where are we going?" she asked him.

"Nowhere in particular. Just wanted to spend some time together with you."

Khushi spoke a lot as usual and Arnav hung on to her every word. Her chatter stopped as soon as she saw a gol gappe stand. The gol gappe guy was about to pack all his things.

"Arnav ji, gol gappe..." she squealed in delight.

"You want to eat at this time?"

"Please... Please..."

"Even if you didn't say please, I would have accepted."

Khushi asked the guy to make her gol gapes and she ate them as if they were the last set of food available on Earth. When she asked Arnav whether he wanted some, he shook his head.

"Some things never change," she muttered and made a face at him.

After their late night snack, they continued their journey. Arnav stopped in front of a park. The park was locked.

Khushi sensed his thoughts and said, "Arnav ji, did something happen to you?"

"Why?"

"Because I get these types of thoughts. You don't."

"What type of thoughts?"

"I have a feeling that you want to jump over this wall and go inside the park now."

He stared at her. "How do you know that?"

"That look in your eyes. Jiji always said that whenever I was about to do something naughty, there is a special gleam in my eyes. Are we really going to go in?"

"Yes, Khushi."

Arnav removed his shoes and socks and put them in the front basket in Khushi's cycle. She followed his actions. He then looked around and jumped on the wall. He gave her a hand and asked her to climb. Khushi put a leg on a big stone and then climbed the wall.

They held their hands and walked on the grass. As they came to a dune covered with grass, they sat down. Arnav touched the grass as if it was his first time in a park. Khushi admired the care free Arnav before her eyes and smiled. To her, he looked like a little child who was fascinated by the tickly feelings on the grass on the palm.

"When I was young, I used to go cycling everyday after school with mom, di and mama."

He placed his head on her lap and looked at her. She stroked his hair and asked him to go on.

"Mom used to ride cycles. I learnt cycling from mama. Di and mama went doubles. It was our everyday jolly time. We would cycle to a park and play there. When I was fourteen, I saw a little puppy in the park which hid in the bushes. We fed him biscuits. He would come closer only when di and I went near the puppy. He was so tiny and malnourished. Di and I took him home. Dad took one look at him and said that he should not be in our house. We were so worried for the little guy. Mama said he would take the pup with him. He was shifting into a new house and he told that he would take the little guy the next day. Di and I hid him in our old garage. We put him in a basket and covered him with a towel. That night it rained a lot."

A tear escaped his eyes.

"The next morning, I ran to the old garage to see him. He wasn't there. His basket was empty. I called out for him. While searching for him in the garden, I noticed our workers looking at me with worried expressions. I asked them about the puppy. After a lot of hesitation, they told me that my father kicked the puppy out after I went to my room. The night was so cold due to the rains and the puppy died within ten minutes. My father's driver tried to help the puppy but dad threatened him that if he helped the puppy, then he would lose his job."

Tears fell in a greater speed as he tried very hard to keep them in bay.

"I cried a lot. That was the last time, I cared for someone who was innocent and dependent on me. A few months later, mom learnt about my father's double life with another woman and killed herself. It was then that I promised myself that I would always throw away the innocent things from my life before it was plucked away from me. I became ruthless and the rest, you know."

She wiped his cheek. Only when he raised his hands to her cheek, she realized that she had also been crying.

"Do you know that the place we first met used to be our house? It was where I grew up. I was where I lost my mother. It was where I lost that adorable little guy. When you fell in my arms that night during the fashion show, you reminded me of that little guy. You were crying and I couldn't help but see how innocent you were. I was frightened of even standing close to you. I looked around a lot of times wondering whether there was someone who would do something to you. I did what I thought would help you. I scolded you and hurt you. Releasing the video footage was due to a moment of madness directed at my father. I was relieved only when I returned to Delhi. Even then you couldn't stop yourself. You followed me everywhere. You came to my office. You came to my house. You even came to my room. I hurt you a lot of times because I wanted you to go away. I was frightened for you." He paused for a second and said, "When I saw you and Shyam together, I had enough of everything. Then you explained the whole situation to me and I made my decision. I was done chasing you away. I was done running away from my feelings. If holding you close to me would somehow hurt you, then I would make sure that I hold you a little more closer so that nobody could hurt you. I would stand before you and protect you and I would never let anybody hurt you." He held her hand and said, "I won't try to chase you any more, Khushi."

"Even if you do, I will come back to you, Arnav ji."

He got up and hugged her. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him the love, security and comfort which was long due.

They stayed for a while in the park and then cycled back. They reloaded the cycles in the car and Arnav walked with her to her house.

"Drive carefully, Arnav ji," Khushi told him.

She did not want him to drive home on his own. However he wouldn't be able to call his driver at around one at night.

"Don't think about anything. Just go to sleep. I am always with you. Whenever you want to talk, we can go for a midnight bicycle ride," she said with a wink.

He smiled and said, "Thank you, Khushi."

"I love you, Khushi would be better. Don't you think so?"

He hugged her and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Khushi. Sleep well."